Too Close To Resist
Aurora's pov
His words settled over me like warmth I didn’t know what to do with.
You never have to be afraid of me.
My heart was still racing but not the same way it had before. Not from fear alone. Something softer had slipped in and unfamiliar.
I swallowed, suddenly very aware of how close we were. My hand was etwined with his.
“I…” My voice faltered.
Why was it so hard to speak?
Heat crept up my neck, spreading across my cheeks as I lowered my gaze, unable to hold his eyes for too long. No one had ever looked at me like that before so certain, so intense.
I felt shy and embarrassed.
His fingers moved gently, lifting my chin until I had no choice but to meet his gaze again.
My breath caught.
"I know you need time to adjust to your new surroundings and you need your space but will you give me a chance?" He asked, his voice soft.
“To prove to you that I am not the monster you believe me to be.”
For a moment, I just stared at him. At the sincerity in his eyes and the control he was holding so tightly onto.
He wasn’t forcing me. He was simply
asking and I couldn't find in me to say no.
“O-okay,” I whispered.
He smiled and it did something strange to my chest.
"Thank you," he whispered as he slowly pulled back, his hands dropping to his sides.
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Roman's pov
“I’m tired,” she said quietly, breaking the silence that had settled between us. “Could you… walk me back to my chambers?”
I nodded. "Of course."
The answer came easily, too easy because the truth was I wasn’t going to let her out of my sight, especially not tonight.
We walked side by side, leaving the warmth of the bonfire behind as the shadows of the palace stretched ahead of us. The night air was cooler here, quieter… but it did nothing to calm what was building inside me.
My beast surged beneath my skin, demanding to claim, to mark, to bind her to us forever. My hands trembled as I tried to reach for her, then stopped my fingers curled into fists at my sides.
My jaw clenched as I forced my gaze forward, trying—failing—to regain control.
Control was slipping fast. I couldn't afford to lose control because if I did I might end up hurting her which is the last thing I want to do right now.
I exhaled slowly, but it did nothing to steady the heat rising through my body.
“A-Are you okay?”
Her voice broke through my thoughts.
I turned my head slightly, meeting her gaze.
Concern filled her eyes.
“No,” I said honestly.
Her brows pulled together immediately. “No?”
Before I could stop her, she stepped closer.
Too close and lifted her hand, pressing gently against my forehead.
The contact nearly broke me.
“You’re burning up,” she said, her voice laced with worry. “You’re sweating we should get you to a doctor.”
A doctor. The thought almost made me laugh. And I did.
A low, quiet sound that clearly confused her.
Her hand lingered against my skin, her touch soft, unaware of what it was doing to me.
“I’m not sick,” I said.
Her confusion deepened. “Then why are you—?”
“Because of you.”
The words came out rougher than I intended.
Her breath hitched.
I took a step closer.
Closing the distance she had unknowingly created.
My gaze darkened as I looked down at her, the control I had been holding onto was slipping further with every passing second.
“You’re the reason,” I said, my voice lower now.
The air between us thickened.
I could feel it in the way her breathing changed. The way she stilled beneath my gaze.
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Aurora's pov
His words sent a wave of heat through me.
Because of you.
I should have stepped back, I should have been afraid but I wasn’t.
Because I felt it too.
My chest tightened as the pull toward Roman grew stronger, a magnetic force I couldn’t fight even if I wanted to. Every nerve in my body screamed for him, yet my mind trembled with confusion and fear. He was dangerousI knew that but he was mine.
Wasn't he?
My breath came unevenly as I looked up at him. “I… I feel it too.”
His expression shifted slightly. “You do?”
I nodded, my voice soft. “Yes I do."
The admission made my heart race, but it also eased something inside me.
My feet carried me closer before I realized I was moving. The golden glow in his eyes flickered with barely contained hunger, and instead of recoiling, I lifted my hands and cupped his face. His skin was hot beneath my palms, his breath uneven.
“I don’t know what this is,” I whispered, “but it’s… pulling me to you.”
His eyes darkened..Something raw flickered there.
“I want you,” he said, his voice low and strained. “More than I should. But I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”
“You won’t,” I said softly, even though a part of me was still afraid.
For a brief moment, neither of us moved. Then he closed the distance.
His lips pressed to mine, deep and consuming, a kiss that spoke of restraint and surrender all at once. The world fell away, leaving only the fire of his mouth against mine.
My breath caught as Roman’s arms wrapped around me, pulling me flush against his chest. The heat of him seeped into my skin, and the bond between us roared louder than ever, a tidal wave of need that left me trembling.
Roman lowered his head, his lips brushing mine in a kiss that was deep, consuming, and desperate. I melted into it, my body yielding even as my mind whispered warnings. The world narrowed to the press of his mouth, the strength of his arms, the fire that burned between us.
Then his lips trailed lower, grazing along my jaw, down to the curve of my neck.
My breath hitched, my pulse racing wildly beneath his touch.
I felt the scrape of his fangs against my skin it was sharp, dangerous, a reminder of what he was.
The sensation sent a rush of heat through me, equal parts fear and desire.
For a heartbeat, I thought he might bite, but suddenly, Roman froze. A low growl rumbled in his chest, and he pulled back sharply, his hands trembling as he released me.
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Roman’s pov
The moment I pulled away, reality crashed back in.
I stepped back slightly, my breath uneven, my control barely hanging by a thread
My chest burned with the memory of her warmth, the phantom scrape of my fangs against her skin haunted me.
I almost lost control, I could've marked her. She wasn't ready for that.
“I’m sorry.”
The words left me before I could stop them.
Aurora blinked up at me, still dazed, her lips slightly parted. “You don’t have to apologize.”
“That shouldn’t have happened,” I said, my voice firmer now forcing control where there was none.
Her face fell and her eyes dimmed.
Regret twisted in my chest, but I didn’t take the words back.
Because they were true. If I lost control again I could hurt her.
And that was not a risk I was willing to take.
Silently, I reached for her hand, intertwining our fingers before I started walking toward the palace.
“You need time,” I said after a moment, my gaze fixed ahead. “To understand this. To adjust.”
My grip on her hand tightened slightly.
“And if that happens again…” I exhaled slowly. “I might lose control.”
The admission was quiet and dangerous.
“I could hurt you.”
Her steps slowed then stopped.
I turned slightly, my gaze dropping to her. She was looking at me not with fear but with something else.
“You won’t,” she said softly.
I stilled.
“You won’t hurt me.”
The certainty in her voice caught me off guard.
“I trust you.”
The words hit harder than anything else.
Trust. Given so easily, so freely to someone like me.
Something in my chest shifted, tightened, then steadied.
My gaze held hers for a moment longer before I exhaled quietly, pulling her closer as we continued toward the palace.
This time I didn’t let go of her hand.
I didn’t breathe until Aurora disappeared behind her door.
I waited just long enough to be sure she was safely inside then forced myself to turn away, every muscle in my body strung tight. The kiss was still burning across my mouth like it had been branded there.
I walked down the hallway with long, tense strides, hands curled into fists at my sides, trying to think through the fog of instinct.
The moment I shut my own door, my restraint shattered.
I braced both my hands against the wall, bowed my head, and let out a low, guttural sound half growl, half groan.
What the hell was I thinking?
I squeezed my eyes shut. The bond surged like a pulse, dragging my thoughts straight back to her, to the way she leaned into me without fear, trusting me when she shouldn’t.
I pushed off the wall and paced the length of the guest room, breathing uneven. My senses were still flooded with her scent, sweet, human, fragile.
“It’s too soon,” I muttered to the empty room, running a hand through my hair, tugging on the dark strands. “Too fast. I need to give her time to adjust."
My beast snarled at the thought of distance. Of waiting. It hated the space between us, craved her warmth, her skin, her breath against my mouth again.
I sat heavily on the edge of the bed, elbows on my knees, breathing slow and deliberate in a fight to calm myself.
I'd never felt like this before.
Not desire—desire I knew.
This was a storm tearing through me, all instinct and gravity and hunger sharpened into something primal.